Carabiners, snap-hooks, and releasable clamps are used in a variety of applications for releasably coupling objects to one another. For example, a rock climber may use one or more carabiners to releasably secure a rope to a protection device during vertical ascension. Carabiners generally include a frame, a gate, and a releasable gate closure mechanism. The gate is configured to releasably engage the frame, so as to form a continuous inner region which can be used to mechanically couple to one or more objects. The releasable gate closure mechanism is configured to allow the gate to be selectively pivoted with respect to the frame in order to facilitate adding or removing items from the continuous inner region. The releasable gate closure mechanism simultaneously biases the gate toward a closed configuration with respect to the frame, so as to maintain mechanical coupling of items within the continuous inner region. A wide variety of frame, gate, and biasing systems exist to specifically accommodate particular applications and/or manufacturing costs for the carabiner.
Various specialized carabiners are configured for particular applications. One type of specialized carabiner is referred to as a “locking carabiner” and includes a locking mechanism configured to selectively obstruct the gate from opening while in a locked configuration. An automatic locking mechanism may be automatically biased toward the locked configuration with respect to the unlocked configuration. The locked configuration prevents the gate from pivoting with respect to the frame. In contrast, the unlocked configuration allows the gate to pivot against the frame in response to a force. The selective or automatic engagement of the locked configuration thereby eliminates or reduces inadvertent or accidental opening of the gate with respect to the frame. Therefore, to open or pivot the gate of a locking carabiner, a user must first disengage the locking mechanism and subsequently apply an appropriate force to open the gate. The method by which the user disengages the locking mechanism is dependent on the type of locking mechanism.
Conventional automatic locking mechanisms require complex physical gestures to initiate and/or maintain the disengaged state of the locking mechanism. For example, many locking mechanisms include a biased rotational locking mechanism positioned on the gate. A user must simultaneously rotate the locking mechanism while opening the gate to disengage the locking mechanism. Unfortunately, the rotational force to unlock this type of locking mechanism may also be inadvertently applied via translational surface friction, resulting in potential accidental gate opening during use. In addition, conventional locking mechanisms include numerous parts which must be properly manufactured and assembled, thereby decreasing their reliability and manufacturing efficiency.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for an automatic locking carabiner system that is optimized for user operation, manufacturing efficiency, and operational reliability.